Interview with Alke Bössiger of the international federation of service trade unions (UNI)

Like other global trade union organisations UNI pursue since years the strategy to stipulate international framework agreements (IFA) with global corporate groups. What would you describe as a main strategy of UNI?

Bössiger: For a start the process-like understanding of this instrument is important. This has changed within the last few years, we don't want agreements at all costs. One doesn't have a paper, and this was it. The installation of trade union networks is essential. By the way, this applies also to the trade industry where our first agreements derived from and which were arranged very minimalist.

Question: The role of European works councils is discussed controversially at the conclusion of IFA. How far does UNI include the EWCs?

Bössiger: There isn't any fixed procedure after which the negotiations take place. This is last but not least depending on the strength of the trade unions on site. If we have strong EWCs in the respective area, then they also are included. However not as sole and central player, after all these operational committees are not necessarily assigned to trade unions. This also applies by the way for world works councils, there also is no guarantee that exclusively trade union members were sent. For this reason it does by the way not correspond with our policy to promote the installation of such committees. We rather try to build up trade union networks as one can see particularly well on the example of the telecommunications industry.

Question: In this sector you renegotiated an existing IFA last year and newly completed it, namely this with Telefónica....

Bössiger: Yes exactly. This is a good example that IFAs are only part of a process. One doesn't have an agreement and this remains unchanging. Depending on our strength in the company, there is also the possibility of improving one IFA. The IFA with Telefónica is also used by our member trade unions very much, thus for example the last annual meeting was held in Panama to strengthen the position of the colleagues locally. At the subsidiary Atento, the worldwide second greatest call centre operator in Brazil, we could recruit more than 10,000 new members by referring to the IFA. In the light of the IFA the company has remained neutral during our organizing campaign. Altogether the notion of solidarity is being strengthened through the conclusion of an IFA - and this cannot be underestimated for the trade union work.


Alke Bössiger is a head of the section for temporary work (migration)/Gaming/national insurances of Union Network International (UNI) in Nyon near Geneva.


Alke Bössiger was interviewed by Reingard Zimmer in Nyon on March 19th, 2008.